http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.al-hikmah.org
http://www.bodybuilding.com
HealthWorld Online (We do not link to this site, as it contains popups)
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.freshcoffee.com
http://www.guarana.com
What is:
Caffeine Taurine Ginseng Inositol Choline
Caffeine
Caffeine is known medically as trimethylxanthine, and the chemical formula is C8H10N4O2. When isolated in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that tastes very bitter
Medically, caffeine is useful as a cardiac stimulant and also as a mild diuretic (it increases urine production). Recreationally, it is used to provide a "boost of energy" or a feeling of heightened alertness.
Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous compounds called alkaloids, among them we have the methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in cola nuts, coffee, tea, cacao beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. These compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids which are also similar in chemical structure.
Sources: Coffee, tea, cola nuts, mate, guarana.
Effects: Stimulant of central nervous system, cardiac muscle, and respiratory system, diuretic Delays fatigue.
The presence of the other alkaloids in colas and tea may explain why these sometimes have a stronger kick than coffee. Colas, which have lower caffeine contents than coffee are, reportedly, sometimes more active. Tea seems the strongest for some. Coffee seems more lasting for mental alertness and offers fewer jitters than the others.
One hundred milligrams (mg) can increase mental alertness; 238 mg can increase cardiovascular endurance
Caffeine is an addictive drug. Among its many actions, it operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. On a spectrum, caffeine's effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you cannot function without it and must consume it every day, then you are addicted to caffeine.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid found in the heart muscle, white blood cells, skeletal muscle, and central nervous system. It is a building block of all the other amino acids as well as a key component of bile, which is needed for the digestion of fats, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and the control of serum cholesterol levels.
Taurine polices our cell membranes, keeping potassium and magnesium inside the cells and keeping excess sodium out. In this way the nutrient acts like a diuretic, without the side effects of a pharmaceutical diuretic.
From a simple beginning where the chemical, taurine, was found to be a necessary constituent of the digestive fluids (bile) of mammals, it was discovered to be present in of all things, shell fish
Then with the advent of technology, the amino acid analyzer, taurine shows up as the amino acid in highest concentration in the blood.
Cat fanciers and others found that switching to lower cost diets for their animals led to spontaneous abortion, malformed fetuses; underweight, slow-growing offspring and blindness. Suddenly, taurine became an essential amino acid and if supplied in the diet as the chemical or in meats corrects the problem
And while veterinarians came to realize that cats were particularly sensitive to the level of taurine in the diet, it was only after 1985, in recognition that human babies were also vulnerable to low levels of taurine that it became a issue. Now most major suppliers of milk replacers have taurine as an ingredient. (Human milk is very rich in taurine as opposed to cow milk, and plants contain very little.)
Should one supplement the diet with taurine? You do it every day that you have a hamburger, fish and chips, even yogurt. The digestion of proteins in the diet yields up the amino acid, cysteine which through the miracle of enzyme chemistry converts cysteine to taurine. Do you need more, probably not unless you are an infant not suckling at mom's breast. (Conversion is inefficient in the early years.
Taurine has a number of physiological roles. Dr. Ryan Huxtable at the University of Arizona who probably knows more about taurine than any of those about, lists the major beneficial activities that taurine many be involved in as:
- An anticonvulsant (perhaps in epilepsy to control violent spasms)
- Cardioprotecterant (when the heart is deprived of oxygen (called ischemia), taurine may help in the recovery process by maintaining the integrity of cell membranes)
- Membrane stabilizer (Not only in the heart but in other organs as well, as example in the eye in cone cells.)
- As an anti-oxidant (much like vitamin E, taurine can react with free radicals and prevent a chain reaction.)
- A calcium modulator (taurine can bind to various metals including calcium, zinc and magnesium thus regulating the quantity of these metals that are free within a cell)
- Enantiostatic effect (really not sure what the Doctor means by this, would usually say that the compound provides a means of stabilizing the environment within which it is active.)
- Protective cellular functionality from the disruptive effects of environmental stress (if you use an athlete as an example, when they are active, the body's systems are affected in different ways
Depleting Agents: Estrogen replacement therapy blocks the manufacture of taurine, as will chemotherapy or a lack of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. (Supplements of beneficial bacteria and vitamin B6 can restore the balance.)
Sources: Taurine is found in eggs, fish, meat, and milk, but not in vegetable proteins. It can be synthesized from cysteine in the liver and from methionine elsewhere in the body, as long as sufficient quantities of vitamin B6 are present. For vegetarians, synthesis by the body is crucial.
Herb Sources: Alfalfa, green tea, kelp, nettle, oat straw, and shepherd's purse.
Precautions: Few adverse reactions are associated with taurine supplementation. However, the amino acid should not be taken indiscriminately by people with ulcers because it can increase the secretion of stomach acids.
Dosage Ranges and Duration of Administration:
- Adults: 1-3 grams daily
- Constipation: 5 grams
- Seizure disorders, edema, high blood pressure: 1.5-4 grams daily, in divided doses
Panax Ginseng
There are actually three different herbs commonly called ginseng: Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and Siberian "ginseng" (Eleutherococcus senticosus). The latter herb is actually not ginseng at all, but the Russian scientists responsible for promoting it believe that it functions identically.
Asian ginseng is a perennial herb with a taproot resembling the human body. It grows in northern China, Korea, and Russia; its close relative, Panax quinquefolius, is cultivated in the United States. Because ginseng must be grown for 5 years before it is harvested, it commands a high price, with top-quality roots easily selling for more than $10,000. Dried, unprocessed ginseng root is called "white ginseng," and steamed, heat-dried root is "red ginseng."
The root is adaptogen, alterative, carminative, demulcent, emetic, expectorant, stimulant and tonic. It stimulates and relaxes the nervous system, encourages the secretion of hormones, improves stamina, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels and increases resistance to disease. It is used internally in the treatment of debility associated with old age or illness, lack of appetite, insomnia, stress, shock and chronic illness.
Known Hazards: Ginseng is not normally prescribed for pregnant women, or for patients under the age of 40, or those with depression, acute anxiety or acute inflammatory disease. It is normally only taken for a period of 3 weeks. Excess can cause headaches, restlessness, raised blood pressure and other side effects, especially if it is taken with caffeine, alcohol, turnips and spicy foods.
Consuming caffeine with ginseng increases the risk of over-stimulation and gastrointestinal upset. Persons with uncontrolled high blood pressure should not use ginseng. Long-term use of ginseng may cause menstrual abnormalities and breast tenderness in some women. Ginseng is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women.
Inositol
Any of nine isomeric alcohols, C6H12O6•2H2O, especially one found in plant and animal tissue and classified as a member of the vitamin B complex, though it is not considered a vitamin per se, since the human body can synthesize it.
Inositol, unofficially referred to as "vitamin B8," is present in all animal tissues, with the highest levels in the heart and brain. It is part of the membranes (outer coverings) of all cells, and plays a role in helping the liver process fats as well as contributing to the function of muscles and nerves.
Inositol, also part of the B vitamin complex, is closely associated with choline. Like choline, inositol (as phosphatidylinositol) is also found in lecithin, though in lesser amounts than choline, and acts as a lipotropic agent (milder than choline) in the body, helping to emulsify fats. The body can produce its own inositol from glucose, so it is not really essential. We have high stores of inositol; its concentration in the body is second highest of the B vitamins, surpassed only by niacin.
Inositol may also be involved in depression. People who are depressed may have lower than normal levels of inositol in their spinal fluid. In addition, inositol participates in the action of serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to be a factor in depression. (Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit messages between nerve cells.) For these two reasons, inositol has been proposed as a treatment for depression, and preliminary evidence suggests that it may be helpful.
Inositol is found in plants, as Inositol Hexaphosphate (IP6). It is a phosphorylated form of Inositol commonly found in fiber-rich plant foods. IP6 supports natural cell defense against damaging hydroxyl free radicals by chelating with reactive iron. It boosts the body's natural cellular defenses by increasing the levels of inositol phosphates in the cells; as a result, it dramatically increases natural killer cell activity, which plays a key role in strengthening the body's immune system.
Inositol is not known to be an essential nutrient. However, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits supply a substance called phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate, or IP6), which releases inositol when acted on by bacteria in the digestive tract. The typical American diet provides an estimated 1,000 mg daily.
Inositol helps promote healthy hair and skin. It has been used to treat eczema, and it may help the hair, especially if there is an inositol deficiency. For sleep, 500 mg. of inositol before bed has a mild antianxiety effect (placebo?) as well as possibly helping to utilize fat and cholesterol during sleep.
Inositol has also had some success therapeutically in improving the nerve function in diabetic patients with pain and numbness due to nerve degeneration. Generally, diabetic people should take extra inositol. People with multiple sclerosis may also receive some benefit with inositol supplementation, as there seems to be a higher percentage of inositol deficiency in nerve cell membranes in those patients.
Choline
Choline, a dietary component of many foods, is part of several major phospholipids (including phosphatidylcholine - also called lecithin) that are critical for normal membrane structure and function. The major precursor of betaine, it is used by the kidney to maintain water balance and by the liver as a source of methyl-groups for methionine formation. Also, choline is used to produce the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine. In the body choline is mainly found in phospholipids, such as lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) and sphingomyelin. The outer leaflet of plasma membrane is rich in these choline-phospholipids whereas the inner leaflet is dominated by phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol. Phosphatidylcholine, the predominant phospholipid (>50%) in most mammalian membranes, not only contributes to the structure of the membrane bilayer, but products of receptor-mediated lecithin hydrolysis also serve as important second messengers in signal cascades that control cell growth and gene expression. Disaturated phosphatidylcholine is the primary active component of surfactant in the lung; a deficiency of surfactant in the neonate leads to respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants.
The metabolism of choline, methionine, and methyl-folate are closely interrelated; the metabolic pathways intersect at the formation of methionine from homocysteine. Some choline can be formed from methionine This can provide some of the choline required by humans.
There are a number of mechanisms that ensure the developing fetus and the infant receive adequate amounts of choline. Like other nutrients, large amounts of choline are delivered to the fetus across the placenta. This depletes maternal stores of choline. Human milk is an especially good source of choline.
Deficiencies: Although each of the above functions is absolutely vital for the maintenance of normal cellular and organ functions, it has been difficult to identify choline-deficiency syndromes in humans. The Institute of Medicine noted that "Healthy males with normal folate and vitamin B12 status fed a choline deficient diet have diminished plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations, and develop liver damage. For these humans, de novo synthesis of choline was not adequate to meet the demand for the nutrient." Patients fed by total parenteral nutrition sometimes develop fatty liver, abnormal liver function tests, and low plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations. This is in part due to an impaired capacity to de novo synthesize choline. In some of these patients, these abnormalities resolve when they are treated with a dietary source of choline.
Diet recommendations: Based on the limited human data that is currently available, the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences USA, recommended that humans consume choline. They set an adequate intake (AI) level for choline of 550 mg/day for men and 425 mg/day for women. For children, the AI was proportionately adjusted for body size.
Food sources: Choline and choline esters can be found in significant amounts in many foods consumed by humans; some of the choline is added during processing (especially in the preparation of infant formula). Little reference information exists on the relative choline content of foods, but we estimate the average choline dietary intake (as choline and choline esters) of the adult human to be more than 500 mg/day. Orally ingested choline (e.g., as hydrochloride salt) may be degraded by intestinal bacteria and cause a fishy body odor; this does not occur when lecithin is eaten. Choline is also found in alfalfa, soybean, and peanuts.
Clinical uses: Amino acid-glucose solutions used in total parenteral nutrition of humans lack choline. The lipid emulsions that deliver extra calories and essential fatty acids during parenteral nutrition contain choline in the form of lecithin (20% emulsion contains 13.2 mmol/L). Humans treated with parenteral nutrition required 1-1.7 mmol of choline-containing phospholipid/day during the first week of parenteral nutrition therapy to maintain plasma choline levels.
There are no established approaches to determine nutritional status for choline. Plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations fall when humans are fed a choline-deficient diet or after strenuous, prolonged physical activity, such as running a marathon. Even in severe deficiency, plasma choline concentrations do not fall below 50% of normal. Measurement of serum alanine aminotransferase activity, which rises approximately 1 week after the feeding a choline-deficient diet, may prove beneficial in assessment of choline nutritional status.
Toxicity: Large oral doses of choline or phosphatidylcholine may be associated with hypotension, sweating, salivation and diarrhea. Large doses of choline can cause a fishy body odor. The Tolerable Upper Limit for adults has been set at 3.5 g/day of choline.
Energy: Due to its effects on brain acetylcholine levels, choline supplementation can enhance memory capacity in healthy humans and rats. Furthermore, choline, in conjunction with supplements that prolong the effects of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, may improve neuromuscular transmission. Since dietary lecithin can increase plasma choline concentrations and is better tolerated than choline, it is best to supplement with lecithin rather than choline itself.